A Prelude After the Departed
by Knight on Bald Mountain
Summary: A one-shot taking place after 'Sorrow of Silidan' (should read first). Supplemental reading before the next novel. Link ends his period of mourning, and returns just in time to meet with his old friends once more. And yes, he finally must make a decision that will determine what the rest of his life will be like.


**A Prelude After the Departed**

"By the goddesses, you finally made it! For a while, I didn't think you were!" Rusl stepped aside to hold the door and wave his friend inside. "Please, come in!"

His face was beaming from ear to ear, though only some of it was caused by the hylian's arrival. As he looked over the man, he was amused at his choice of present attire. "Never would have thought you'd actually be able to clean up either, but you did."

A small chuckle escaped the hylian's lips. Once he regained his composure, he finally spoke. "Surely, you didn't expect me to arrive in my dusty traveling clothes to your _wedding_ , Rusl?"

"I'm just surprised that you even had time to find something so soon."

"Just as I was surprised that you even popped the question so soon."

A slight hint of Rusl's smile faded while he shut the door behind Link. He had a feeling that his friend was still bothered about something, and he had very little doubt as to what it might be. Still, now wasn't really the time for that. "Well, you look all set as you are. We're still waiting on a couple of stragglers, but there's a few refreshments in the banquet hall if you'd like to partake in them. Just don't eat too much. I'd be very upset if we had to interrupt the ceremony on the account of your bladder. If you'd just like some company, I know Zelda has been chatting it up with Shad in there."

"I will keep that in mind." Link bobbed his head in confirmation, and slowly strolled through the small temple. Built in the heart of Ordona, and dedicated in memory of the lives lost, it was constructed with a speed that would have put the rebuilders of Hyrule Castle to shame. It was the least the silidians could do. In fact, it was only the first of several actions sanctioned by their acting government officials. But to Link, this was the only one that mattered.

As he passed the altar room on the right to enter the banquet hall, he noticed just how many people were attending the ceremony. He recognized nearly everyone present: a few zoras, a couple of buko, even a trio of gorons, not to mention several humans from Silidan that he'd met during his time there. Were he unfamiliar with them, it would have been difficult to really find any of the humans or hylians in the crowd; anyone except for Zelda, of course.

Though no taller than most, she seemed to be standing above the rest near a long table of food. In her hand she held a drink of crimson color, while Shad stood next to her carrying only a book. Link carefully waded through the crowd to reach them, not stopping for anyone else. Zelda spotted him first, and turned to smile at the hero. "I'm so glad you were able to make it here in time, Link."

"Oh, you thought I'd be late too?" He appeared to the right of Shad, whom just then realized his presence.

"Quite the opposite."

"Where have you been all this time?!" Shad spat out while vigorously shaking Link's hand. "It's been nearly a year since Soarinox was destroyed!"

"Out in the desert, mostly. Traveled close to the Yarna Wasteland, even."

"You find anything out there?" Shad asked, thoroughly interested.

"Other than the fact that it is far larger than I could ever hope to explore, a lot of sand."

"Still, I'm sure you must have run into some fascinating creatures or other over there." Shad tilted his head to peer behind his friend at someone else. "You'll have to tell me about it sometime."

The scholar quickly faced Zelda and bowed before taking off. "If you'll excuse me a moment, your Highness..."

Link glanced around to see what it was that led Shad away, but the crowd of people seemed to block his field of view. It appeared as though he'd gone to speak with a young red-haired woman. Perhaps he'd finally found a new partner to play chess. Whatever the reason, it gave Link the privacy he'd desired. He'd been meaning to speak to Zelda, but before he could even open his mouth, Zelda beat him to the punch.

"Something vexes you." The queen mentioned, casually. It wasn't a question. The hero nodded, and she guessed, "You're concerned for Rusl."

"How'd you know? The Triforce?"

"Mere intuition." She replied with a straight face. The queen's jocularity always puzzled Link, so he couldn't tell if she was joking with him, or telling the truth. "You think he's taking things too quickly."

"It's only been eight months since Uli died!" He tried not to disturb the rest of the chamber, but he was frustrated. "I don't doubt his love for Saffir, but getting married to another woman in _eight_ months?"

"How long do you think he should have mourned her loss?" Zelda asked curiously. It wasn't that she necessarily disagreed with Link. Rather, she was trying to get Link to explain himself thoroughly.

"I don't know, but longer than that."

"Why?"

"Because it's disrespectful to her memory."

Zelda swiftly surmised Link's frustration, and stopped in thought. She didn't need to think of a response, merely how best to phrase it. "You believe that the longer you mourn, the more you show how much you care about the person you lost? The more miserable you are, the more you care, is that it?"

Link hesitated slightly, but nodded again. Zelda continued, "You went out into the desert to mourn Ilia, didn't you?"

With a grimace on his face, the hylian affirmed it a third time. He was quick to defend himself, however. "I...I may have finally come to terms with what happened, but...I don't know. Something still feels wrong."

Zelda stood quietly, listening intently to everything he said. "I feel like regardless of the circumstances, I should be doing more for Ilia than I am now."

"Ah..." She nodded, finally illuminated to his blight in its fullest. "I see."

The queen paused briefly to take a sip of her drink, giving herself another couple of seconds to prepare her response. "May I tell you something that my mother told me when my father died?"

Link shrugged his shoulders, so Zelda proceeded. "I won't go into everything she said, but to the point, she asked me what I thought of the goddesses regarding death. I was still fairly young at the time, and thought that they were cruel to give us such a fragile life that ends too soon to truly enjoy. My mother laughed at my response, jesting that I must have all the answers if I thought the goddesses malevolent."

She paused again to chuckle at her former self. "It really was arrogant of me. Nevertheless, to this day I'm reminded that all the wisdom I have is still insignificant to that of the goddesses themselves; that if I could see things from their perspective for just a moment, my understanding would exponentially increase."

"Yet they don't," Link added bluntly, "And I'm failing to see where this gets 'to the point'."

"Well, Link, what do you think happens after death? Do we just fade into the wind, or live on in another form of nature? Maybe our spirits get rewarded or punished for our deeds and misdeeds, perhaps?"

The hero became silent. He'd never truly thought on the matter before. After contemplating it for a short time, using his past experiences as examples, he finally answered. "Certainly, they do not simply cease to exist. The shade that trained me in combat existed on in spirit. Other than that, I can't possibly know the answer."

"So if we don't cease to exist after death, then we must continue to exist in some other form. Thus, the only question you have to ask yourself is: do I have enough faith in the gods to believe that our loved ones are in a good place? If you don't, then I seriously would question your position as their appointed hero."

It was an odd idea to believe that the goddesses wouldn't look out for the lives of those that they'd created even in death. "And supposing that I do?"

"If so, then the living ought to look out for the living, and let the dead care for the dead."

The liquid in her glass vanished just before it was placed on the table. She patted Link on the shoulder before departing with but a few words more: "I'm positive that wherever Ilia is, the thing that she would want most for you is to be happy."

The queen passed through the crowds without any problems, heading over towards Rusl whom had returned from the front. At the same time, Shad came back to the hero's side, with a sly grin on his face.

"What are you smirking for?" Link asked aloud.

"No reason. Well...I might have made a good first impression on that young woman over there." He pointed back to the red-haired hyian Link had observed earlier. "Also, I'm just excited to be here. It's just gonna be great to see everyone together again. The only other times this has happened was whenever there's been trouble. I hope this becomes the new norm."

"Everyone's made it?" Link inquired.

"Everyone. We were worried about you and Ashei for a while, but it looks like you both wanted to make a dramatic entrance."

"Ashei's here _now_?"

Shad blinked. Pointing back at the door, he replied, "Didn't you see her walk in with Rusl just now?"

Link stretched his neck further to examine the new arrivals. Sure enough, standing with Rusl and Zelda, while wearing a formal deep crimson dress, was Ashei. He pondered for a moment whether or not he should approach her. In the end, it didn't matter, as Rusl announced that it was time for the ceremony, and everyone shuffled to fill the pews.

The groom, of course, stood upon the dais, with Link, his acting attendant. They waited at the altar of the goddesses for about ten minutes before the bride made her entrance. Her dress was a bright blue with silver trimmings shimmering through the stained glass windows. A soft quintet of brass musicians played at the back of the hall as she sauntered down the center aisle. Link noticed that Rusl's smile had broadened even further than when they'd met at the door. He'd not seen him so happy in a long time. Whatever doubts Link had that Rusl was rushing into this marriage too quickly had instantly vanished once she stood next to him on the dais before the queen. He could feel the love emanating from the happy couple, and it put him at ease.

The ceremony was a fairly brief one, compared to those often hosted by nobles. But Rusl was a simple man, and Saffir a simple woman. Neither of them wished for their wedding to be ostentatious, and Zelda was more than willing to oblige them. She kept things moving, while ensuring that every aspect of the traditional hylian wedding was made.

"In the name of the goddesses that have granted me such authority," Zelda declared as the ceremony was at its end, "I hereby pronounce you: husband and wife."

Rusl did not waste time in grabbing hold of Saffir lovingly, and pull her close to give his new bride a big kiss. The crowds applauded and cheered for the newlyweds. There was genuine joy in them. They'd all been waiting for the first marriage between a person from Hyrule to another from Silidan. The applause refused to die down, even after Rusl and Saffir exited through the main hall. Once they were well on their way, Buri, who was acting as Saffir's attendant, and Link were second to leave. After them was the queen's exit, and then the guests'.

By design, there wasn't much of a wait in between the ceremony and the banquet. While still not the grandest feast Link had ever seen, it was surprisingly large for what was honestly just a wedding between a rancher and a merchant. Obviously, the presence of Zelda made it slightly more lavish, but that was really all. It certainly wasn't because of _him_. While many in Hyrule still recognized his accomplishments, he was seen as far more approachable than the queen. In his presence, people treated him very well. In hers, they treated her as was expected of royalty.

Link sat to Rusl's left at the banquet hall, where they reminisced about their younger days. Most of the stories made Saffir laugh, even if at the expense of making the groom feel embarrassed. It was all really just to help Link relax a bit more before his inevitable toast. Once he felt it was time, he stood up to gain everyone's attention. Were it not for the help of Zelda, _again_ , it would have taken far longer for everyone to recognize what was happening. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.

"First, I'd like to thank the bride and groom for having the forethought to send my invitation as early as they had. I might not have made it to their fantastic wedding had they not." He made a brief pause to allow a quick applause. He still wasn't ready to make a formal speech, so he added a short quip. "I'd also like to thank her royal highness, Queen Zelda de Hylia for performing the ceremony, though I can't help but wonder who will perform the ceremony at _her_ wedding, whenever she finally decides to tie the knot."

A mixture of laughter and gasps spread through the room, as none were too certain if he'd gone over the line asking the queen such things. The reaction from Zelda herself was far more startling: she _blushed_. Link had _never_ seen her blush before.

Having gathered most of his thoughts by then, Link began the main portion of his address. "I...must admit, however, that I was surprised to hear about this at first. I mean, I suppose I was still living a bit in the past myself, so I wasn't initially ready to see my friend get remarried. _But_...I've had time to think, and after what I saw in the sanctuary just now, I don't know why I would want to see them apart."

There was another lull as the crowd responded with sounds of approval. Not wanting to talk too much about himself, he tried to bring the focus back onto the married couple. "Now, I remember the first time I met Saffir, and...well let's say we didn't get along that day. However, I also distinctly remember the next day she'd completely turned around in a way I'd never thought possible. To be honest, Rusl and I were a bit suspicious at first, but it didn't take long for her to make us realize how genuine she was. She _proved_ her commitment, and her good character far beyond anything I ever would have expected. And I know that her show of faith changed Rusl too: it gave him hope.

"So here we are today, celebrating the, uh..." Link soon learned that he shouldn't have bothered trying to sound so fancy. His pause went on a little too long, which became apparent when a few people had to stifle a laugh. Link decided he'd just turn to face Rusl and Saffir and start over.

"The point I was trying to make was...I'm happy for the two of you, and I hope you have many years of love and joy on the horizon." He raised the cup in his hand to propose a toast. "To the newlyweds!"

The crowd repeated his gesture and toast before taking a long drink for themselves. Having satisfied the traditions, he sat down and continued to eat and drink with his friends.

Nearly an hour later, Rusl and Saffir had their first dance. Link, watched them move gracefully along the dance floor. It was a beautiful sight. So entranced by what he saw, he didn't realize that someone was approaching him from behind.

"They make a cute couple, yeah?"

Though startled at first, he didn't need to turn around to figure out whom it was. "They really do, Ashei."

"Do you mind if I sit?" She motioned towards the seat on his left which had belonged to Shad, but he'd disappeared again. The scholar was likely trying to find the same redhead as before. Link held out a welcoming arm to Ashei. "Help yourself."

It was his first chance to see her up close since the ceremony. He hadn't noticed the intricate hairstyle she had before. Were he familiar with fashion, he'd have known it was called a 'braided updo.' In either case, he thought it looked good on her.

"Link, you're staring."

"Sorry." He brought his focus down and spoke plainly. "I'm glad you were able to make it."

"So am I. Nearly missed it though. Had some loose ends to tie up at the old place."

"You leaving it for good?" He asked honestly.

" _Have_ left it for good. I don't need such a large place for myself. Even if it weren't just _me_...I don't like the weather. Rather pick a warmer climate."

Link noticed her hesitation. It made him think back to the last time they'd spoken, and whether or not she still felt anything for him. To be fair, he was still trying to figure out his own feelings for the young woman. Seeing her at that moment, however, made it seem more lucid. He figured he'd ask a few more indirect questions.

"Any thoughts on where you might want to live?" Perhaps not as indirect as he could have been, he thought to himself.

"I might possibly head down to Silidan. They still have a lot of roaming monsters that need to be quelled."

"Sounds exciting."

"Yeah, well..." Her sentence trailed off, though Link couldn't hazard a guess as to why. He pressed on. "I doubt they'll ever be as nasty as the ones we've already faced."

The slightest hint of a smile was showing on her face. "Y'know, you could come along and see for yourself."

She immediately seemed to regret saying that, as she tried to correct herself. "I mean, you've always been handy with a sword. I could use someone to watch my back, yeah?"

Link still couldn't figure out if she was trying to discourage any ideas of there being some subtext, or if she was simply trying not to pressure him again. He couldn't ever remember Ilia being so complicated. Was he finding that endearing?

Before he had time to answer the question, there was another applause as the newlyweds finished their first dance. The quintet prepared for the next piece, and the other attendees got up to dance. Looking back at Ashei, his head filled up with even more questions. Should he ask her to dance? Was it too soon to ask? Did he even _want_ to dance with her? His head felt like it was actually spinning. Things were so much easier when he just knew when he was in love.

He hoped that she would speak up, for she often enjoyed to make the first move, but she looked as though she was waiting for him to do something; _anything_. She was right, and since he understood that doing nothing wouldn't help him learn, he stood up and held out his open hand towards Ashei. "Shall I have the pleasure?"

Ashei's smile widened a bit more as she stood up and graciously accepted his offer. "Of course."

The music was already beginning by the time they reached the floor, but they could tell by the crowds that it was not one of the coordinated dances, so there was no trouble with them coming up a bit late. Just as they were about to begin, Ashei halted him for a second. "I may not be wearing my boots, but I'll still return the favor if you step on my feet."

The song that played was a slow one, which made Link's job easier. It might have just been the music, but he was really enjoying himself. Even though he still stumbled on a few occasions, he realized what little fun he'd had in the past several months. Everything seemed to be turning out all right at that moment. Maybe it was just because he hadn't had much contact with people for a while, or perhaps it was the specific person he was spending time with that made it fun.

"You never answered my question," Ashei eventually remarked, though not in her usual tone. She sounded very interested to hear his response, which he wasn't quite ready to give. Concentrating on both the dance and her question was a difficult task.

"Let me at least finish this first dance before I say anything."

Nearly that same instant, the song came to a close, making Link regret phrasing his last statement as he had. Ashei smirked at him, aware of his unease, but not to make fun of him. He scratched the back of his head, as if it would help him come up with the right answer.

In that moment, Link thought of everything he'd gone through with Ashei. He reminisced about every moment they'd watched each other's backs. He recalled when she'd broken down after her father's death, and had gone to him. Then came the memory of when he lost Ilia, and how Ashei was at his side the entire time, making sure he was okay. Finally, he relived the kiss. It all seemed so sudden when it had happened. Even though he remembered liking it, and even kissing her back, he remembered there being hesitation on his part.

An idea formed in his mind, and it occurred to him just how to determine what his answer would be.

Cupping Ashei's chin with the thumb and index finger of his left hand, Link raised her face to become properly aligned with his. As he slowly leaned in, he shut his eyes and kissed her. She didn't take long to returned it, as the two fell into each other's embrace. It wasn't until the start of the next song that they finally parted lips.

Having just experienced one of the most intense kisses in his life, Link finally felt his head set itself right. Though he still had many questions, he finally learned that he'd be able to answer them one by one.

"Ashei...I would _love_ to go with you."


End file.
